This is the Part Where You Laugh - Hardcover

"A raw offbeat novel with an abundance of honesty and heart." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"In my mind the best storytellers walk that high tight wire between tragedy and comedy with a magician's grace. The further they take you down the road of comedy, the further you're willing to follow them down the road of tragedy. Enter Peter Hoffmeister. This Is the Part Where You Laugh is exactly the part where you laugh. And ache. This is a really good book!"--Chris Crutcher

"A memorable story of good kids' transcending rough lives.... What might seem didactic in lesser hands feels realistic and right here. Messages are delivered in natural dialogue, the well-drawn characters speaking from the heart with wisdom derived from firsthand experience." --Kirkus, starred review

"A powerful story... Hoffmeister has done a wonderful job of allowing the reader to get into the head of a young man whose world seems to be crashing down around him." VOYA, starred review

"A unique, unforgettable tale that is a must-have for all YA collections." --School Library Journal, SLJ Popular Pick

"So real it hurts. Hoffmeister explores the depths of family and addiction, friendship and first love with the skill of a writer who knows his way around--and I was happy to follow. This story will stick with you." --David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of Kids of Appetite

"A courageous novel. Incandescent and unflinching." --Jeff Zentner, author of The Serpent King

"Hoffmeister crushes it, weaving seamlessly between aching humor, brilliant dissonance, gritty romance, and chaotic hope. He glosses over nothing. He doesn't give a single word for free. There is blood and truth on every page." --Estelle Laure, author of This Raging Light

"So real it hurts."—David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of Mosquitoland. 

A summer of basketball, first love, and the friends who've got your back when life gets crazy, set in a trailer park in small town America.
 
Travis never gives up.
Not when his mom takes off.
Not when he gets suspended from basketball.
Not when he cracks four ribs jumping off a bridge to impress a girl.
Not when he and his best friend Creature get into trouble deeper than they know how to handle.

From acclaimed author Peter Brown Hoffmeister comes a painfully-funny, sometimes-crushing story of growing up, making mistakes, and pressing on, against the odds.

"In my mind the best storytellers walk that high tight wire between tragedy and comedy. This Is the Part Where You Laugh is exactly the part where you laugh. And ache. This is a really good book!"—Chris Crutcher
 
"A courageous novel. Incandescent and unflinching." —Jeff Zentner, author of The Serpent King 
 
"A raw offbeat novel with an abundance of honesty and heart." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Hoffmeister crushes it. There is blood and truth on every page." —Estelle Laure, author of This Raging Light